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Zhalay Sarhadi is a passionate advocate for furry friends, recently using her social media to call for accountability after the demolition of a pet market near Lahore’s Data Darbar last month. Despite her undoubtedly good intentions in discussing a cause near and dear to her heart, Sarhadi has received flak for talking about animals and ‘ignoring’ the suffering of humans.

She vehemently denied the charge in a video posted to her Instagram account.

In the reel, the actor said she was speaking up about animal rights “because there are many things going on around us that are detrimental to animals’ safety and survival”. She added, “That does not mean that I don’t talk about women’s rights, it doesn’t mean I don’t talk about Palestine, and it absolutely doesn’t mean I haven’t discussed Kashmir earlier.”

Saying that all evils deserve attention, Sarhadi said, “[let me] discuss one issue and leave other issues [to others], because we need to…shed light on all these problems and we can find solutions for them.” She asked people to let her talk about what she feels is important and not “intervene and try to make [her] look bad”.

The actor, who has a history of speaking up about causes she believes in, was vocally anti-war when India and Pakistan locked horns in May of this year. She condemned Indian strikes on Pakistan, but maintained that war “is never the answer” and that it “has no winners”. She later celebrated the announcement of a ceasefire between the two states, praying for a “more peaceful and progressive future”.

Sarhadi partnered with the Al-Khidmat Foundation to raise funds for flood-affected communities during this year’s disastrous monsoon rains and participated in calls for justice following the brutal murder of teenage content creator Sana Yousaf in June. She also openly called out misogynistic practices and attitudes in the entertainment industry and Pakistani society as a whole.

Given her history, it is surprising anyone can accuse the actor of being indifferent to human struggles. If she also has a soft spot in her heart for animals, she’s fully entitled to express herself and shed light on their plight as well.